Ricky Gervais' Offensive Jokes Led to Good Ratings for Golden Globes, so Organizers Have Invited Him Back

By any reasonable standard, Ricky Gervais' jokes at the 2011 Golden Globes were awfully offensive. But they also pulled in some high ratings for the Globes at a time when awards shows are not all getting high ratings. The result? Gervais has been asked to come back for a third turn as host.

Although viewers might disagree, many found the jokes spewed by Ricky Gervais at this year's Golden Globes to be seriously offensive. From Mel Gibson to Charlie Sheen, he tackled every offensive news story in Hollywood. So, naturally, in the aftermath of his performance news coverage focused on whether Gervais had gone "too far." [See, e.g., Markovitz, Adam, "Did Ricky Gervais go to far at the Golden Globes?" Popwatch, 1/17/11. Downloaded from: http://popwatch.ew.com/2011/01/17/ricky-gervais-globes/].

While critics wondered whether Ricky Gervais had gone too far, the actor expressed no remorse for his actions. And, if you know Gervais, you know that harsh, offensive humor is the norm for him. It's his schtick. And when it works, it works well -- as it did in the film Ghost Town. For my money, the schtick did not work very well at the 2011 Golden Globes awards. Offensive or no, the jokes simply were not horribly funny. But, as noted, Gervais did not seem to care.

And today we have the answer to whether Ricky Gervais went too far, and it is a resounding "no." According to the British comedian, the Golden Globes organizers have asked him to come back for a third time to host the 2012 awards show, because his offensive jokes were good for ratings. [Source: "Ricky Gervais: Golden Globes Want Me Back Despite Scandal," USMagazine.com, 2/1/11. Downloaded from: http://www.usmagazine.com/moviestvmusic/news/ricky-gervais-golden-globes-want-me-back-despite-scandal-201112].

This begs another question: Do the Golden Globes producers care whether their host offends the public? They might care a little bit, but apparently not as much as they care about ratings. If Ricky Gervais' offensive humor attracts viewers, then Gervais' offensive humor is what we will get. What is the limit to what the Golden Globes producers will accept on their program? There is no telling. Edgy content is apparently not a problem for them.

For his part, Ricky Gervais ought to be gloating his head off right now. The post-Golden-Globes buzz was that he would never be invited back. Now, days after his performance, he apparently has been invited back. This could be a real power trip for Gervais who, apparently, can say anything he wants to Hollywood's elite, as long as pulls in viewers. And, after this year's bizarre Golden Globes, we can rest assured that many, many fans will be ready to tune in next year if Gervais accepts the invitation to make a third appearance.

UPDATE: Now the producers of the Golden Globes have come forward and said Ricky Gervais is lying and has not been invited back from the 2012 show. [See: http://www.usmagazine.com/moviestvmusic/news/golden-globes-to-ricky-gervais-we-dont-want-you-back-201112]

Sources

Markovitz, Adam, "Did Ricky Gervais go to far at the Golden Globes?" Popwatch, 1/17/11. Downloaded from: http://popwatch.ew.com/2011/01/17/ricky-gervais-globes/